Chris Froome produced a phenomenal ride up Mont Ventoux to win stage 15 of the Tour de France and extend his overall lead in the 100th edition of the race to more than four minutes. The British rider attacked Alberto Contador 7km from the end of the final climb, caught Nairo Quintana and then left him behind with 1.2 kilometers left in the stage.
The Team Sky rider has also gained one minute and 46 seconds on Bauke Mollema, who is second in the overall standings, and one minute and 40 seconds on third-placed Contador. Dutchman Mollema, who rides for team Belkin, is now 4'14" behind Froome, while Saxo-Tinkoff's Contador is 4'25" adrift before the final week of the race.
Froome said: "My main objective was to get more of a buffer on the general classification riders but I didn't see myself winning the stage. I expected Quintana to go further out than he did but I wasn't expecting it to be that hard to catch him and when I did I thought he was going to win the stage. But in the last two kilometres he started fading - I didn't really attack, he just couldn't hold my wheel. This climb is so historic and means so much to this race, especially in the 100th edition of the race."
Monday is a rest day and the race will resume with stage 16 on Tuesday - a fairly difficult and hilly 168km stage from Vaison-la-Romaine to Gap. Here are the odds for the stage win at Bet365:
Peter Sagan - 17/4
Sylvain Chavanel - 12/1
Philippe Gilbert - 14/1
Thomas Voeckler - 16/1
Michal Kwiatkowski - 18/1
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